


Whumptober 2019 - 06 - Dragged Away

by DinerGuy



Series: Whumptober 2019 [6]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Dragged away, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Characters, Whump, Whumptober 2019, all the feels, car crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 21:11:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20918684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinerGuy/pseuds/DinerGuy
Summary: The storm wasn't good for any of them, but especially not for anyone as bad off as Higgins and Magnum. And the longer they stayed out in the rain, the worse they were going to get.





	Whumptober 2019 - 06 - Dragged Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hey look, more words! :D I had fun with this one... and by that, I mean poor Rick gave me all the feels.
> 
> Standard disclaimers apply.

"Thomas?" The voice drifted in as if from a distance… It sounded like Rick… "Come on, T.M.; open your eyes for me."

He groaned at the order; he really didn't want to. Everything hurt, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. Why did he need to wake up anyway?

Then pain shot through his body, and his eyes flew open as if of their own accord along with an exclamation that was somewhere between a yell and a growl.

"Sorry, sorry!" T.C.'s call came quickly, just before the other man appeared in Magnum's line of vision. "You good?"

Magnum was panting, feeling his fists clutching handfuls of dirt and grass. "What—?"

And then the pain in his legs and at his side registered, and he tried to push himself away from the source of it. But, as soon as he moved, everything felt like it was on fire, and he cried out again and slammed a fist into the ground.

"Hey! Hey, stop; stay still!" Rick commanded, quickly putting firm hands on Magnum's chest, holding his shoulders down.

Eyes squeezed tightly against the pain, Magnum gulped for breath. He felt Rick's hands leave him, and then there were murmurs of a low conversation nearby. Magnum squinted one eye open to take in where Rick and T.C. were standing a few yards away, speaking quietly. And then he realized—

"Where's Higgy?"

The others turned back to him when he spoke, and Rick hurried to kneel beside him again.

"She's… she's here," Rick replied slowly, glancing over his shoulder.

There was something Magnum was missing; he knew it, but he couldn't get his mind to concentrate enough to focus on it. "Where—?" was all he managed to before he started coughing at the effort, but his eyes didn't leave Rick's face.

"Tommy, do you know where you are?"

Magnum blinked. Where… where  _ was  _ he? He was on the ground, so that meant somewhere outside… Then everything came back to him in a flash, the memories tumbling over him in the same way the car had flipped over on itself, end over end—

His eyes went wide, and he instinctively tried to sit up, but that went worse than his last attempt at moving. The agony was even more intense, and Magnum could feel his stomach roiling as the roaring in his head seemed to increase exponentially. Everything had gone gray and fuzzy, and he couldn't make out anything past the white-hot  _ pain.  _ He coughed, feeling the bile rising and trying to turn his head to the side in time…

More fire flashed through him as someone pulled him quickly to a sitting position, and he felt hands on his back, holding him up and helping him lean over as his stomach expelled its contents. When the vomiting finally subsided, the same firm grip lowered him down gently, and Magnum groaned as his head settled back against the ground.

"It's okay. Just breathe." Rick's voice was in his ear again. "Breathe, buddy."

Following the instructions slowly, Magnum finally risked opening his eyes again to fully take in his surroundings. Dark clouds cluttered the evening sky and blocked out the first rays of a sunset that had been there not long ago. He slowly lifted a hand to wipe at his chin as his gaze dropped down to take in Rick at his side and then travel down toward his legs and whatever the source of the all-consuming pain from moments before was. He had a feeling he knew, and, sure enough, he was right.

Higgy's Range Rover was lying on its roof, wheels pointed upward. The windows he could see were blown out, and the metal of the vehicle was mangled and stretched in ways it was definitely not supposed to be. His legs were somewhere under the mass of twisted wreckage, although he could feel a small divot in the ground just past his knees, and he could only hope that meant he wasn't bearing all the weight of the overturned vehicle. If that was the case…

Thunder rumbled in the distance as he shook his head, not wanting to even entertain the idea.

"Hey," Rick put a hand on his shoulder again. "We tried to get you out, but you're pretty stuck. Gonna have to wait for help before we can do the heavy lifting."

Magnum swallowed and nodded once in acknowledgment. That explained what had hurt so badly a few moments before. And then the thought of Higgy hit him again, and his gaze darted around his field of vision for any sign of her. T.C. was gone now, too, and Magnum looked to Rick in question. "Where's Higgins?"

"Right here, Magnum."

Any relief he felt was tempered by the weakness of her voice and the way it faltered in the middle.

"Higgy?" He propped his elbows on the ground and pushed himself up a little so he could see better, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied slowly.

A moment later, he could see T.C. practically carrying her over to join them, and Magnum swallowed as he took in his friends' conditions. T.C. looked about the same as Rick, with a gash on the side of his face, along with several other cuts and bruises, and both of their shirts were torn and dirty in spots.

Higgins, though… Magnum felt his breath catch as she slowly sat down on his left and he realized just how  _ not  _ fine she was. There was blood staining her blouse, her jeans were suspiciously darker in one particular section of her right leg, and a makeshift sling held her right arm against her body.

She offered Magnum a small smile as she noticed how he was studying her. "I'll be okay," she told him, reaching out with her uninjured hand, and he frowned as he realized she'd brushed her fingers against fabric as well as his hairline.

He lifted a tentative hand of his own and felt a bandage of some sort tied around his head.

"Hey, don't touch that," Rick chided, reaching over to move Magnum's hand. "We only have the one first aid kit, so I can't replace it if you mess it up."

Magnum obeyed, not feeling up to arguing with the instruction. "Someone please… tell me we have a signal out here to call for help," he said after a moment.

"Sorry," T.C. supplied, shaking his head. "This area's a dead zone; we probably won't get service for a few miles in either direction." He sighed and exchanged a look with Rick. "I'm gonna hike down a ways and see if I can get a call through."

He'd barely finished his sentence when lightning flashed, then a peal of thunder ripped through the air around them.

"You may want to hurry; this storm's supposed to be pretty bad," Higgins offered quietly.

All three of the men noticed how uncharacteristically weak her voice sounded, but none commented on it.

T.C. just nodded and checked his phone screen, then turned and hurried off down the road.

Magnum watched him leave, then took a shallow breath and relaxed against the cool dirt. He was grateful they had come to a rest off the road; at least he wasn't lying on hard asphalt. The clouds continued rolling in above him, and he felt himself drifting off as he watched them. Higgy and Rick were saying something next to him, but he couldn't process their actual words, just heard their quiet voices as the world around him faded away…

Another clap of thunder startled him awake, and he groaned under his breath. He really would appreciate if nature would just let him sleep. But, when a raindrop hit his forehead, he realized that wasn't going to happen. He draped his right arm over his face and tried to tune everything else out.

He got about two seconds of uninterrupted silence before—

"Magnum!"

Moving his arm, he glanced over at Higgins. "Hm?" he grumbled.

She was watching him worriedly. "You can't fall asleep right now."

He didn't see why not; he was  _ tired, _ but he didn't have the energy to argue so he settled for a glare. In response, she just gave him a tight smile.

It felt like he'd only blinked before it was raining on him, much harder than just the couple of drops he'd felt before. It was a slow drizzle that steadily grew harder in seconds, and Magnum squinted against the sudden deluge that soaked him in no time. He put up a hand to shield his eyes, hearing more thunder rumble around him. Lightning split the sky and illuminated the dim clearing.

Something shifted beside him, and he tilted his head to see Rick moving Higgins closer to where Magnum was lying. Pain crossed her face, but she just clenched her jaw and did her best to pull her own weight as Rick helped her scoot along the ground until her leg was pressed up against his side. Higgins reached across Magnum with her good arm, using it to prop herself up so she was leaning over him.

She looked down with a tired half-smile. "How're you holding up?"

He made a face. "Ask me after we get out of the rain." But then he paused, realizing he wasn't actually getting much wetter anymore, although he could still hear the rain pounding on the overturned car.

"Sorry, T.M.; we left the umbrellas at home," Rick remarked wryly from where he'd stood after Higgins was settled.

Magnum tilted his head to look over at the other man. The gesture from both Rick and Higgy wasn't lost on him; he knew neither could be completely comfortable with the way Higgy was half-leaning over his face and the way Rick had positioned himself so he was standing hunched over both of them. 

"You guys… might wanna get inside," he managed to protest, looking back up at Higgins. "'s gonna get cold—."

"Nonsense!" She looked offended he'd even suggest that. "And do who-knows-what further damage to you with you trapped underneath the car?"

She did have a point, he supposed.

"No, we're staying right where we are," Higgins finished pointedly.

Rick nodded. "Don't be silly, T.M. We're not leaving you in the rain by yourself."

The sound of footsteps met their ears past the next roll of thunder, and T.C. soon reappeared. He looked winded and was soaked from head to toe.

"Any luck?" Rick asked hopefully.

T.C. shook his head. "Nah," he replied, leaning over with his hands on his knees to recover his breath. "I couldn't get service, and then it started storming, and I wasn't about to leave you guys out in this weather when I don't even know how many more miles it'll take before I get bars." He straightened up and took in the way the others were huddled around the car. "Rick…" He trailed off and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know," Rick replied seriously.

Magnum exchanged a look with Higgins. He could see the water running from her hair to drip to the ground beside him, and he blinked as an errant drop hit his nose.

They both knew what their friends meant. The storm wasn't good for any of them, but especially not for anyone as bad off as Higgins and Magnum. And the longer they stayed out in the rain, the worse they were going to get.

And Magnum was still concerned there was more to Higgins' injuries than he'd been able to make out so far. The way her brow wrinkled slightly every time she moved, and the way she was already so pale… She had definite internal injuries, and he was worried she'd deteriorate quickly if she had to stay out in the elements for much longer.

"Hey, Higgins," Rick spoke up, drawing both of their attention back to him. "Remember that cabin we passed on the road right before the accident?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes widening as she followed his train of thought. "Rick, I'm not leaving."

T.C. and Rick looked at each other again.

"But, Higgy, you need to get out of the rain," T.C. chimed in. "You're in no condition to—"

Her head snapped up, sending water spraying around her as she turned. "Neither is Magnum!" she protested.

"Higgy"—Magnum put a hand on her good arm—"you gotta go."

She shook her head again. "No. No, I'm not leaving."

T.C. moved over to crouch on the muddy ground beside them. "But you're not leaving him alone; I'll be right here with him. We know you want to stay, but you're only going to make yourself worse if you do."

Stepping over to put a hand on Higgins' arm, Rick lifted gently. "Come on."

When Rick moved, the rain started to wash over Magnum again, and he wiped water from his eyes as he watched Higgins continue to shake her head in protest. "Hig…" He coughed again, his stomach knotting as he took in the others' concerned looks at his verbal stumble.

T.C. stood then, moving to take over the place Rick had recently vacated, blocking the water from his friend's face. He just smiled grimly and nodded when he caught the look the trapped man was giving him.

"I can't go," Magnum continued, looking back to Higgy, "but you have to take care of yourself." He took a breath. The effort he'd expended on talking was taking its toll, but he had to convince her it was okay to leave. He couldn't let something happen to her because of him. "I'll… I'll be fine."

Although she was still shaking her head, Higgy didn't resist when Rick again put a gentle hand under her good shoulder and pulled her to her feet. She clenched her jaw, and all three of the guys saw the pain that crossed her face as she stood.

Rick ducked down so she could drape her good arm over his shoulders, then looked back at the other two still by the car. "Hang in there, T.M.," he said, giving his friend an encouraging smile. Then he glanced over at T.C., and they exchanged a long, serious look before Rick shifted Higgins' weight on his shoulders. With her being shorter, he didn't quite straighten up all the way before he slowly turned and they began haltingly moving down the road.

As Rick and Higgins limped for the cabin, T.C. turned his attention back to where his friend was lying on the ground in front of him. His stomach clenched as he took in Thomas's current state. His buddy was trying to put on a brave face, but T.C. knew him too well not to look past it. Besides the worrying fact that the wrecked vehicle was pinning Thomas to the ground, there was blood smeared along the left side of his face, originating from underneath the bandage Rick had wrapped around his head earlier. The rain had washed away some of the evidence of the trauma, but Thomas's yellow print shirt was still stained red in places in addition to a few rips in the fabric.

What was worse, T.C. realized suddenly, was how badly his friend was shivering. They could really use a warm island evening right now, but, between the higher elevation and the fact that it was mid-February—on top of the pouring rain making things worse—it was probably the worst night for something like this to have happened.

Thomas had tucked his fists up under his arms in an attempt to trap in his body heat, and he was trembling so much his teeth were chattering. His eyes were hovering at about half-closed, and T.C. knew he needed to keep the injured man awake. Between his head injury and the shock and the cold, it would be a really bad idea to let Thomas fall asleep out in the open.

"Hey, man." T.C. immediately dropped down to crouch beside his friend. "Come on; you gotta stay awake."

In response, Thomas just grumbled. He shivered again, a shudder that wracked his whole body, and the pain etched across his face deepened.

"Hey." T.C. reached over and put his hands under Thomas's back. "I'm gonna sit you up, okay?"

His friend nodded once and took a breath, then clenched his jaw as T.C. gently pushed him upright. Thomas groaned at the movement and was panting by the time T.C. had him sitting up.

"Sorry," T.C. apologized, even as he shifted so that he was sitting closer to Thomas. "Sorry. I know it hurts," he added as Thomas gave a small cry of pain as his side was jostled. "But we have to get you warm." Keeping his hands firmly on Thomas's back, T.C. moved to sit right up against his friend. Then he wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders and leaned forward, pressing his chest against T.M. "Hey, let's talk, hm?"

"'bout... 'bout what?" Thomas managed to ask, voice wavering.

T.C. could feel his friend continue to shake, and he rubbed Thomas's arms briskly. "Oh, I'm sure we can think of something. How about Robin's new book? You read it yet?"

Coughing, Thomas nodded slowly. "Part of it. No… no spoilers."

"It's pretty good. You gotta finish it, man," T.C. replied, chuckling. "Of course, your character gets to do the whole knight-in-shining-armor thing again while I'm relegated to the roles of air support and comic foil." He pulled Thomas closer as he felt his friend's shivering increase. "Hey, but you did start it, right? What'd you think of that fight at the beginning, hm?"

Even as he asked the question and held his injured friend tighter, the thunder kept rolling, the lightning kept flashing, and the rain just kept soaking them.

* * *

Rick was breathing heavily and there was a stitch in his side, but he knew he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when Higgy needed him.

He could see the wooden structure just up ahead, sitting a few yards away from the road. It was most likely a hunters' cabin, and he could only hope there were supplies inside he could use to help the others. They wouldn't last the night if not.

Jules had started shivering about three minutes into their walk and hadn't stopped. If anything, her trembling had only intensified the farther they walked and the more wet they became—and the rain hadn't let up at all. If anything, it had only gotten worse. Rick glanced over again, concerned with how heavy-lidded her eyes were, how drawn and pale her face was. She'd stopped talking about two minutes after she'd started shivering, and, even when Rick tried to crack a joke or ask her a question, she didn't respond.

The thing that worried him the most was how quickly she seemed to be slipping into shock. The night air was surprisingly chilly, he realized with a small shiver of his own. That honestly scared him a little, even though he would never admit it out loud. He knew he was banged up from the wreck—who wouldn't be after getting thrown around in a car that was flipping over itself? Apparently the back seat where Rick and T.C. had been riding had been better shielded from the impact than the front had been, but everything still hurt if he stopped to think about it. So he couldn't.

Next to him, Jules stumbled, and Rick quickly shifted to compensate and keep them both on their feet. He had to keep them going, even if he wanted nothing more than to just stop and rest. Even though she looked like she could barely keep walking any more than she could keep her eyes open, Rick knew they'd never get up again if they stopped. He wished he could just pick Jules up and carry her the rest of the way, but he was worried he'd only hurt her more if he tried, and so he just kept dragging his feet forward. He could feel most of her weight hanging around his shoulders and just kept pushing on. He was counting on her to tell him if she needed to stop, even though he was basically dragging her now. They just needed to get to shelter already… and how was it taking them so long to cover what had seemed like such a short distance anyway?

And then they were finally there. Rick shoved the door open as they both stumbled inside. The room was pitch black, and he used his foot to swing the door closed behind them. He reached out to feel for the wall and then turned and lowered Higgins to the floor so she could lean against it. Then he reached for his cell phone and turned on the flashlight. When the light illuminated the small room, he sighed in relief. He hadn't been sure what to expect when they finally arrived, but this was one of the better case scenarios.

There was a small pile of what looked like folded fabric in the far corner, and Rick hurried over to it. His relief at finding three thin blankets and a small tarpaulin was nearly overwhelming, and he turned back to his companion with a wide smile. "Look! We struck gold!"

The side of Higgins' mouth twitched upward in a lazy smile, but she didn't respond beyond that, and Rick swallowed at the way she seemed to be zoning out. He snatched up one of the blankets and rushed back to wrap it around his friend.

"Here you go," he said gently as he shifted her away from the wall and tucked it around her shoulders. "You're gonna be okay, Jules." The feeling of her cold skin when his hand brushed her neck did nothing to encourage him. He eased her back against the wall again, noticing how she was still shivering, her eyes barely tracking with his movements. Rick rubbed her good arm briskly to try to stir up some warmth, then moved to rub her legs in the same way, hoping to get her blood flowing again.

Biting his lip, Rick glanced back over at the remaining blankets and tarp still sitting in the corner. He knew what he needed to do, but, as much as he didn't want to delay getting the supplies back to the others, he also didn't want to leave Jules. Not with the way her eyes were barely staying open even with him talking to her.

But he also knew the others needed his help just as badly. With the storm was still raging, they wouldn't stand a chance on their own. He had to get back to them, even if it did mean leaving Higgins alone.

He swallowed down the nagging guilt at his decision and moved back across the room to gather up the blankets and tarp. Dropping the load just inside the door, he grabbed one of the remaining blankets and stepped the few feet over to Higgins. Rick spread the blanket over her legs, tucking it in around her so it would stay put even if she shifted around a little. He only hoped it could help keep her warm while he was gone; at least T.C. and Magnum had each other, but he was leaving her alone for who-knew-how-long.

"Hey," he said, drawing her attention away from the far wall. He put a hand on her good arm and gave her the most encouraging smile he could manage. "I'm going to go check on the others, okay? I'll be right back; I promise."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah… go. I'll be fine."

He wasn't sure he believed her, but he wasn't going to argue with her either. Standing again, he wrapped the blanket inside the tarp, then tucked the bundle under his arm and flicked off the flashlight before tucking his phone in his pocket. He looked back at Higgins and took a deep breath. "See you in a minute," he told her, then he pulled the door open and stepped back out into the storm.

The rain lashed at him as he started back toward the road, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the forest around him. Rick shivered as the rain soaked him through and tucked his chin as he pressed forward. Just one foot in front of the other, he told himself. He had to put everything else aside and just focus on getting back to the other guys. There would be time to worry about himself later.

Putting up an arm to try to shield his eyes from the rain, he pushed himself harder until he finally saw the overturned Rover in the next flash of lightning. Rick felt relief run through him as he jogged over to where the others were still huddled by the vehicle.

"Hey! T.C.!" Rick skidded to a stop next to them. His heart clenched as he took in Magnum's limp form tucked up against T.C., who had his big arms wrapped firmly around Magnum and was hunched over to shield the injured man from the rain as much as possible. Both men were completely soaked through, and Rick swallowed before putting a hand on T.C.'s back. "Hey, I got something for you!" He had to yell to be heard over the raging storm.

His friend blinked and turned to look at Rick. "Rick? Is Higgy okay?"

"She's back in the cabin," Rick replied quickly, knowing he wasn't answering T.C.'s question. "I found some blankets and a tarp," he continued, holding up the bundle.

T.C. nodded, and Rick could see his expression softening in relief. "Thanks."

Unrolling the tarp, Rick did his best to keep the blanket from getting wet as he hurriedly pulled the large piece of canvas over all of them to block out the rain. T.C. reached up to help adjust the edges as it came to rest on top of them. It was a little like a tent collapsing, but it did the job and Rick sighed in relief as the water pounded on the other side of the tarp. It also blocked out the light that had been coming from the lightning strikes, and Rick hurriedly pulled out his phone again to use the flashlight.

"Here!" Rick yelled to T.C., pulling the blanket from under his arm and hearing the tarp crinkle as he moved to crouch beside the others.

Thomas was shivering, and Rick couldn't help thinking of how Higgins had been doing the same thing when he'd left her in the cabin. But he shook his head and moved to help T.C. wrap the blanket around Thomas, tucking it under their friend's chin and pulling it snugly against his shoulders. Then they shifted Thomas back so he was once again lying against T.C.'s chest.

Through all of the movement that must have aggravated Thomas's injuries, the other man barely even groaned, and that was worrying Rick more than anything else. He looked at T.C., lifting an eyebrow, and his friend nodded in reply. Even in the shadowy light cast under the tarp by Rick's phone, both men knew what the other was thinking—and was thinking the same.

Rick put a hand on T.C.'s shoulder. "Take care of him, brother," he said, then ducked under the edge of the tarp, straightened it back into place, and set off at a jog toward the cabin.

He wanted to run faster, wanted to flat-out sprint the whole way back. Images of what could have happened to Jules while he was absent ran through his mind, making him desperate to get back to the cabin. But his head was pounding, he could feel his left leg throbbing from where he'd slammed into the side of the car when it had rolled, and he just couldn't make himself go any faster. As it was, he was wheezing in exhaustion by the time he finally arrived.

Jules was where he'd left her, huddled against the wall, the blankets still tucked around her. Her eyes were closed, but she slowly blinked as the sudden light from Rick's phone lit up the inside of the cabin. "Ri… Rick?" she asked.

Trying to hide his dismay at how much she was still shivering, Rick smiled encouragingly as he studied her face. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Cold," she managed.

Rick nodded and moved to her left side. Gently, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get you more comfortable, okay?"

She nodded and grimaced but clenched her jaw as if she knew what was coming. When Rick shifted her so that she was sitting slightly forward away from the wall, she whimpered under her breath but did her best to assist him in moving her weight.

He settled himself with his back against the wall, then pulled Higgins back so she was tucked up against him. Reaching around her, he adjusted the blanket that had half-slipped from her lap, and then checked that the one around her shoulders was still snug around her.

"Okay," he said, trying to keep his tone low and soothing. "There we go."

Yet another shiver ran down her spine, and she instinctively leaned back into Rick's body heat. He wrapped his arms around her chest, making sure to be careful of her injured right arm, and pulled her close.

"Come on, Jules," he urged, allowing himself a brief moment to close his own eyes against the headache that was starting to work its way down his neck. "You'll be okay. It's gonna be okay."

* * *

When the search team arrived hours later, they found a wet and muddy Magnum and T.C. huddled inside the wreckage of the Rover. With the ground softening by the minute thanks to the storm, T.C. had realized they were starting to sink in the mud and had then been able to dig far enough down that he could pull Magnum's legs free. But, with no idea how bad his buddy's injuries were, he hadn't wanted to risk trying to get Magnum all the way to the cabin, and so he'd dragged them both through one of the empty windows into what shelter the damaged SUV afforded.

Magnum was unconscious by that point and didn't wake even as rescuers gently pulled him from the wreck onto a backboard. Even the wailing of the ambulance's siren as it peeled off down the road toward the nearest hospital did nothing to rouse him.

T.C. was only slightly more alert, wracked by shivers that were still going even as he was wrapped in an emergency blanket and loaded into the back of another ambulance. He'd managed to give directions to the cabin where Rick and Higgins were undoubtedly still hunkered down against the storm.

Rick had flinched when rescuers woke him, his arms reflexively wrapping tighter around Higgins as he felt her moving. It took him a moment to process what was happening, and he'd sagged back in relief as the realization that it really was going to be okay.

She was just barely awake, her reactions slow and sluggish, and her tiny cry of pain as she was helped onto a stretcher sent Rick to his feet—just before the pounding in his head drove him to his hands and knees.

Whatever came next was a blur to Rick, and the next thing he knew, he was blinking awake in a dim hospital room. He looked around in confusion for a moment, then his gaze landed on T.C. sitting beside his bed, and he grinned. "They let you out already?"

T.C. glanced up quickly from his phone, his own smile spreading across his face as he saw his friend was awake. "Well, some of us know how to behave in a hospital."

"Haha, very funny." Rick chuckled, then caught his breath and rubbed at his temple as the dull pounding in his head registered again.

"You okay?" T.C. asked in concern.

Rick nodded slowly. "Just a headache." It was muted, so they had him on some sort of painkillers, but he really wished they would work a little better.

"Doc says you have a concussion," T.C. supplied. "Pretty bad one, too, on top of severe bruising to your left leg. You're supposed to stay in bed for a few days while the swelling goes down." He lifted an eyebrow. "Running around in that storm only made things worse." 

"Yeah, well, somebody had to do it," Rick replied with a shrug. "How are the others?"

T.C. shook his head. "Worse off than you, but they'll be okay. Higgy had some internal bleeding, but they were able to get it under control, and she cracked her collarbone like you thought, so she'll be in a sling for a while." He sighed. "They're not sure how Thomas escaped with just a fracture to his left leg and some strained muscles in his right, but he's really lucky the Rover didn't crush his legs with the way he was pinned under it. He's got a concussion, too, and a couple of cracked ribs, but things are a whole lot better than they could've been."

Rick tilted his head as a thought hit him. "How'd… how'd they find us, anyway?" he asked.

T.C. smiled at that. "Kumu," he said. "Remember how she'd identified the clue Thomas found that had us all up on that mountain to begin with? Well, when we still weren't back early this morning, she called the cavalry." He chuckled. "She can be very convincing, and it turns out one of her best friends' sons works in search and rescue."

With a sigh, Rick settled back against his pillows. He smiled to himself as he shifted under the blankets; during their ordeal, he hadn't been sure he'd ever stop shivering. And yet, here he was, warm and safe and knowing his friends were as well. It might not be the best-case scenario, but they had all survived. They had made it through the night together, and they would make it through the long days of recovery ahead in the same way—together.


End file.
